The Dark Island
by penspot
Summary: What did Edmund see while at Dark Island? Book verse


The Dark Island

A/N: So I saw the trailer for the Dawn Treader for the first time and the part where Edmund saw the White Witch near Dark Island was inspirational. What was he thinking while stuck in the dark at the island of nightmares?

Summary: What did Edmund see while at Dark Island?

"Fools!" shouted the man they had just lifted aboard, stamping his foot with rage. "That is the sort of talk that brought me here, and I'd better have been drowned or never born! This is where dreams—dreams, do you understand—come to life, come real. Not daydreams! DREAMS!"

There was about a half minutes silence and then, with a great clatter of armor, the whole crew were tumbling down the main hatch as quick as they could and flinging themselves on the oars to row as they had never rowed before. Drinian was at the helm and swinging round the tiller, the boatswain giving out the quickest stroke that had ever been heard at sea.

Edmund ran up to the stern to help and heard Caspian bellow, "ROW! ROW! Pull for all our lives! Is her head right Drinian?"

That was when the dreams took hold and everything became deadly silent. Edmund squeezed his eyes tight and found his fingers grasping his hair for dear life. At first it was only a voice.

"_Edmund… Edmund…"_

It grew louder and louder and finally he heard it. The same sweet and cruel voice that could grab someone's willing heart and then rip it to shreds with no effort. _Her_ voice.

"Edmund."

He turned and saw her, ghostly and whiter than ever. She shone with an eerie brilliance. Not the way he had seen Aslan shine, warm and golden. This was pale and deadly and it took away all color and light, even the darkness seemed dull compared to her.

"No," Edmund whispered in horror."

"_And what's more, I have no children of my own. I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I am gone. I think I would like to make you the Prince— maybe even King."_

"_There's nothing special about _them_." "No… but a king needs servants."_

"_HOW DARE YOU COME ALONE?"_

"_This way… for your num-nums!"_

"_Special treatment for the special _boy!_ Isn't that what you wanted?"_

"You belong to me Edmund," she leered. "You ate my food, drank my drink, betrayed your family and Aslan into my hands. _Your_ blood is _my_ property."

"No! No!" Edmund shouted and covered his ears.

All she did was laugh, a chilling, haunting, laugh that rang through his bones. Tears welled up in his eyes and memories he had never even heard or seen played before his eyes.

"_Does the kitty want some milk?"_

"_Now Aslan, I'm a little disappointed. Did you really think that by all this you would save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one. Heh… so much for love."_

"_In that knowledge… despair… and… DIE!"_

"No! No! NO! Aslan… oh Aslan help me…"

"Look!" cried Rynelf from the bows. Edmund looked up into the sky and saw a tiny speck of light. And then a broad beam of light fell from it upon the ship. It didn't alter the surrounding darkness, but the whole ship was lit up.

"_Here is your brother. What's done is done, there is no need to speak of what is past."_

"_His offence was not against you…"_

"_That when a willing victim is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack, and even death itself will turn backwards."_

The light grew and grew and Edmund recognized the shape in the golden light as an albatross. And his mind was so taken up with the goldenness of it, he didn't even realize the witch trying to grasp at him and failing. Eventually she silently shrieked and was gone when the albatross sang in its strong, sweet voice.

The _Dawn Treader_ slowly followed the albatross out of the darkness and into the light and blue sea.

"I reckon we've made pretty good fools of ourselves," said Rynelf. Edmund stood up at the stern and looked to where the albatross disappeared.

"_What's done is done. She can hurt you no more_," said the deep voice of Aslan, but Edmund was sure he was the only one who heard it.

"Thank you," Edmund whispered before turning and joining the rest of the crew to look after the stranger they picked up.

A/N: All quotes are from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Please review.


End file.
